Nuclear Power may Help Combat Climate Change

To tackle climatic change, scientists have advised the use of nuclear power as a reliable means of electricity which is also environment friendly.

According to a report in news.com.au, the analysis was done by scientists and engineers from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

World Environment Day
World Enviornment Day 2008. Let us save our planet by ensuring that our carbon footprints do not get longer.

The academy has issued a report calling for nuclear power to be on the table, and have predicted that 15 per cent of Australia's electricity will come from nuclear reactors by 2050.

The problem with coal and gas-fired power is that it emits carbon pollution, which causes climate change, according to the report's lead author John Burgess.

But, renewable energy, often touted as the solution, is either not baseload power or not proven, he added.

A Green Super Bowl – Massive Efforts to Reduce Carbon Footprint
Organizers of Sunday’s Super Bowl, a much awaited US football event, say they would go all out to reduce waste and make the game as green as possible.

"We need power that runs for 24 hours a day, as opposed to just when the sun shines or the wind blows," Dr Burgess said. "Nuclear power is an existing technology which is operating quite safely," he added.

The report said that Australia was well placed to go nuclear because of an abundance both of uranium reserves and remote sites for dumping waste.

India’s Climate Change Plan Aims to Boost Solar Power and Facilitate Trade in Energy Saving Certificates
National Action Plan on Climate Change unveiled by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday aims boost to solar power and will facilitate trade in energy saving certificates.

Australia would probably have a "generation 3 plus" style of nuclear reactor, which is safer and more fuel-efficient than current plants, it added.

A plant would produce between two and 10 cubic metres of waste a year, a small amount compared to some other technologies, the report said.

Abu Dhabi to Have World’s First Zero-carbon City
Abu Dhabi will soon have the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste and multifaceted city powered by renewable energy resources.

As for public hostility to nuclear power, Dr Burgess said that it could fade as concerns about climate change grew.

The Academy's report, which looked at the best ways for Australia to generate electricity in a climate-friendly way, said a technological revolution was needed.

Emissions trading was a good start, but would not do enough to encourage low-emission technologies. It said that 6 billion dollars should be spent by 2020 on researching greener electricity generation.

New technologies must be deployed on a massive scale, and there should be "relentless" work on energy efficiency programs, the report said.

Source-ANI
SAV/L